Hookah use prevalence, predictors, and perceptions among Canadian youth: findings from the 2012/2013 Youth Smoking Survey

Abstract

PurposeFew national surveys currently assess hookah smoking among youth. This study describes the prevalence, patterns of use, and perceptions about hookah in a nationally representative survey of Canadian grades 9–12 students.MethodsThe Youth Smoking Survey 2012/2013 was administered to 27,404 Canadian grades 9–12 students attending schools in nine Canadian provinces representing 96 % of Canadian population. Relevant dichotomous outcomes included ever use, use in the last 30 days, and the belief that hookah use is less harmful than cigarette smoking. Covariates included smoking status, sex, grade, province of residence, race/ethnicity, and amount of weekly spending money. Logistic regression models were used to examine: covariates related to the odds of ever and last-30-day hookah use; covariates related to perceptions about the harms of hookah smoking; the extent to which perceptions were associated with odds of hookah use; and whether survey year (2010/2011 or 2012/2013) was associated with hookah use, and marginal effects were calculated.ResultsIn Canada, 5.4 % of students in grades 9–12 currently use hookah and 14.3 % report ever using hookah. In 2012/2013, students had significantly higher odds of using hookah compared to students in 2010/2011 (OR 1.5, 95 % CI 1.2, 2.1). About half of hookah users (51 %) used flavored hookah. Students who believed that hookah use was less harmful than cigarette smoking had significantly higher odds of current hookah use (OR 2.6, 95 % CI 1.9, 3.5), as did students who reported higher amounts of weekly spending money. Current smokers had an 18 % higher predicted probability of currently using hookah compared to non-smokers.ConclusionsHookah use among youth is of growing concern in Canada. Findings can be used to inform policy development related to youth hookah smoking.

Using Prototype Willingness Model to Predict Waterpipe Smoking among High School Adolescents in Birjand, Iran

“…In addition, Caroline et al asserted that waterpipe smoking in Brazilian adolescents amounted to 19.7% (12). Minaker et al stated that 22.4% of high school students (grades 9 to 12) smoke waterpipe (13). Apparently, the easy and plentiful access to various forms of waterpipe, as well as the absence of strict rules on tobacco products sales, is a major cause of its increased consumption in recent years (14,15).…”

Waterpipe smoking among secondary school students in Hong Kong

“…In the US, the prevalence of current waterpipe smoking (past 30 days) increased among middle (1.0-2.5 %) and high school (4.1-9.4 %) students from 2011 to 2014, and waterpipe use has become as common as cigarette smoking among students (Arrazola et al 2015). In Canada, current waterpipe smoking increased from 4.0 % in 2010 to 5.4 % in 2012/2013 among high school students (grade 9-12) (Czoli et al 2013;Minaker et al 2015). Waterpipe smoking is particularly popular in Eastern Mediterranean countries, such as Lebanon (36.9 %), West Bank (32.7 %), Latvia (22.7 %), the Czech Republic (22.1 %), Estonia (21.9 %), Syria (20.1 %), and Jordan (18.9 %) (Jawad et al 2015a).…”

“…A great proportion of adolescents and young adults, including both waterpipe users and nonusers, misconceive that waterpipe is less harmful than regular cigarettes (Alvur et al 2014;Daniels and Roman 2013;Heinz et al 2013;Jawad et al 2013;Smith et al 2011Smith et al , 2007Villanti et al 2015). This false perception also predicts waterpipe smoking (Heinz et al 2013;Minaker et al 2015;Villanti et al 2015).…”

Slim cigarette smoking prevalence among Canadian youth smokers: Implications for federal standardized packaging legislation

“…It has reinforced trends found in the literature and supports the need for further surveillance efforts to determine whether use of novel or non-traditional tobacco product among youth is growing or declining. 40 Eliminating slim cigarettes from the Canadian market may serve to reduce youth uptake of smoking, which would reduce future cancer incidence. These findings therefore support federal action on plain and standardized packaging such as that currently being considered by the federal government in Canada.…”